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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28294527">Christmas with the Potter-Weasley-Grangers</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spritepepsircjosta/pseuds/Spritepepsircjosta'>Spritepepsircjosta</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Also Fred is alive, Cursed Child never happened, Family Feels, Fluff, It's my fanfiction and I choose the character deaths, M/M, Mild Smut, No actual sex but like a lil bit of steamy making out, Scorpius is Big Anxious, Secret Relationship, ish</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 00:33:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,429</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28294527</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spritepepsircjosta/pseuds/Spritepepsircjosta</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Seventeen-year-old Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy have been a happy couple for almost a year- however, Christmas is fast approaching, and Albus's family don't know that they're together. Albus has a half brilliant and half stupid solution- invite Scorpius over for Christmas! That should work out perfectly, right?</p>
<p>... Right?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Scorpius Malfoy/Albus Severus Potter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>94</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi! This is my first dive back into fanfiction after a few years away, so forgive me if I'm rusty. Please comment if you want more of this story, I love reading comments and it would brighten my Christmas a lot! Expect longer chapters from here on out, this one mostly serves as exposition. Merry Christmas!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Seventh year Albus Potter lied sideways on the emerald sofa adjacent to the fireplace in the Slytherin common room, the soft warm glow adorned with tinsel and fairy lights. The entire common room was, in fact, the place transformed overnight a few weeks prior into a cozy, festive space. A fat tree sat in the corner, photographs of students’ families chatting and mingling amongst the lights and ornaments. Albus’s own family occupied a space, occasionally he noticed his father jokingly dueling with old school mates and family friends. Ever the center of attention, even on the Christmas tree. Not to say that Albus didn’t miss his family- on the contrary, he was thrilled to return home for Christmas soon. There was only one thing that made him less eager to leave.</p><p> His too-long legs hung over the armrest, his Transfiguration textbook suspended over his head as he struggled through a paragraph for the fourth or fifth time- the words had started to blur after a while. He’d much rather be in bed at this time of evening, but he’d also be an idiot to miss an entire night of studying potential. His pillow of choice was the lap of his equally frustrated boyfriend, his long blonde hair in a sloppy bun as he struggled to translate identical runes. Though their N.E.W.Ts were a few months in the future, the threat of them loomed constantly overhead, and so maintaining marks and keeping their minds filled to the brim with knowledge was essential. Albus let the textbook fall onto his chest with a dramatic groan, looking up at Scorpius, still engrossed in his work. His dark eyes narrow as he pored over the runes, anxiously biting the inside of his cheek- a habit Albus had been trying to get him to kick, as kisses tasting of blood weren’t quite as sweet as without.</p><p>Albus reached up to squeeze his boyfriend’s cheeks with one hand- ever-annoying on purpose. Scorpius let his attention to his homework waver, and then break, looking down at the other boy who had made a home in his lap. “Need something, dove?” he asked.</p><p>“Attention, mostly. Also for you to stop biting your mouth, I won’t kiss you if you do that,” an empty threat, and they both knew it, but it was worth a shot. Scorpius couldn’t help a fond smile, using his free hand to brush through Albus’s unruly black hair- overgrown and too curly for his own good.</p><p>“You need a haircut. Getting a bit mullet-y in the back there. Not cute,” Scorpius murmured as he toyed with said mullet.</p><p>“Fuck off, it’s so cute,” Albus chuckled, playfully smacking his arm. “You sound like my mum. <i>Oh, Al, what must the girls think with you looking like that?</i>” He said in an exaggerated falsetto, his typical caricature of his mother. </p><p>“I don’t know, Al, what do the girls think?” Scorpius teased, and Albus snorted.</p><p>“They think I look quite sexy on the Quidditch pitch with my glorious locks flowing out behind me. And then they see me snogging my boyfriend in the locker room,” he sniggered, and Scorpius laughed as well, only stopping after a few moments. Albus looked up at him with a quirked eyebrow, and squeezed his cheeks once more, tilting his head down to look at him.</p><p>“I can hear your brain. What are you thinking about?” he asked. Scorpius sighed softly and brushed a loose lock of hair out of his face, his gaze towards the fire.</p><p>“Dunno. Just… are you going to tell your family about us?” Scorpius asked. Albus was quick to sit up out of his lap and take Scorpius’s hand. “It’s been nearly a year and they still don’t know.”</p><p>“James and Lily know. And Rose, she knows,” Albus murmured, and Scorpius huffed softly.</p><p>“I meant people who aren’t at school. <i>Important people.</i> Like, I dunno, your mum and dad?” he asked, his previous fond smile turned to an awkward, uncomfortable grimace. Albus sighed and shrugged.</p><p>“I just… it’s difficult. You know it’s difficult. Your parents knew you were gay for, like, forever- my parents have no clue. Besides, I’m sure you haven’t told them that you’re dating me,” Albus said.</p><p>“I did. Over the summer, I did. They thought it was a joke at first, but I did tell them. They’ve known for months,” Scorpius retorted. “Is it because you don’t want them to know you’re gay? Or because you don’t want to tell Harry Potter that his son is messing around with the son of the Dark Lord?” he huffed, letting go of Albus’s hand. Albus bristled slightly but tried to keep a straight face.</p><p>“First off, we aren’t “messing around”, you’re my boyfriend and I love you. Second off, you are not the son of the Dark Lord, you’re just the son of someone that my parents… don’t really like,” Albus sighed.</p><p>“Oh, so my parents adore Harry Potter, yeah? It’s not going to be easy, Albus, it wasn’t an easy conversation to have, and it won’t be for you. But you have to tell your parents, else… I don’t really know what we’re doing here,” It felt as though all of the warmth in the room had slithered out of the windows directly into the lake. Scorpius stood and began to gather his things, about to head to the dormitory for the night, when Albus took his hand.</p><p>“Come home with me,” he insisted, tightly squeezing his hand. Scorpius looked at his boyfriend as if he were insane- which, to be fair, he probably was. The fairy lights around them twinkled as though they were delighted by this development.</p><p>“Sorry, what?”</p><p>“For Christmas. Come to the Burrow with me, with my family. All of us. My parents and grandparents and cousins and- everyone,” Albus said. “You don’t have to stay for the day of, but at least for a little while. I… I want them all to properly meet you and come to their own conclusions. If I just tell them that we’re together they’re going to come to all sorts of conclusions, and… Well, it’ll be a right mess is what it will be. But I want them to know you and like you when I tell them.” He stood, gently running his fingers over Scorpius’s cheek. </p><p>“Christmas with my family is a really good time. We have dinners and music and my Uncles are always playing pranks, and… It’s fun. I want you to get to know our traditions and everything because… I want this to last a long time. I want us to last a long time,” Albus smiled softly. </p><p>Scorpius spent a few moments staring. Then a few more moments thinking. There was much to consider. A classic Malfoy Christmas, alone in their enormous house with only his parents, spending the entire time counting down the days until he could go back to school- or a properly family Christmas with the boy he loved? Though, perhaps tinged with old resentments and rivalries. The pros and cons list weighed down his mind until he felt he had shrunk an inch, and he rapidly put it out, focusing instead on Albus. An inch taller than himself, a fact that delighted and irritated him to no end. His brown eyes seemed to glow, reflecting the lights that decorated the common room. They weren’t visible to the naked eye, but as close as he was standing, Scorpius could see the freckles that littered his face, a secret that only those permitted to stand an inch from Albus’s face were privy to. Scorpius considered himself lucky to be one of the only people with that privilege- he was almost certain that the only other person was Albus’s mother. </p><p>“And you’ll tell them? During Christmas, you’re going to tell your family that for the past year you’ve been dating the son of Draco Malfoy?” Scorpius asked with a quirked eyebrow.</p><p>“Eleven months and eight days. But, yes, I will tell my entire extended and immediate family that for the past wonderful eleven months and eight perfect days, I have been ever so lucky to be able to be with Scorpius Hyperion Hercules Aristotle Flamel Merlin Malfoy,” Albus teased, and Scorpius rolled his eyes, pinching his side.<br/>
“You are the most annoying person in the world, you know that, right?” Scorpius smiled, and Albus responded with a peck on the lips before looking up at him expectantly.</p><p>“So? Christmas with me and my family?” Albus asked. After a moment’s hesitation, Scorpius nodded. Albus grinned and pulled his boyfriend into a tight hug, placing a kiss to the side of his head.</p><p>“Why are you so excited? A second ago you were pissing yourself at the idea of your parents knowing about us, now you look like I’ve just cancelled your N.E.W.Ts,” Scorpius laughed softly as he hugged Albus in return.</p><p>“Because I get to spend Christmas with you. Believe it or not, I do like you,” he murmured as he pulled away, pecking his lips once more. “I’ve got to write my parents. And you probably have to write yours, yeah? Don’t want mummy and daddy Malfoy thinking you’ve been kidnapped.”</p><p>“Aren’t I being kidnapped?” Scorpius joked as he gathered his things once more and slipped all of his books into his bag, retrieving some parchment and a quill. He turned to Albus and pecked one last kiss to his cheek. “Write your parents and then go to bed, yeah? I feel like we have a long next few weeks ahead of us.” He chuckled.</p><p>“Long? You’ve clearly never had a family Christmas like ours. It’ll be over before you blink,”</p><p>With one more kiss- and perhaps a few more, but who’s counting- the two went to their respective beds and wrote their respective letters, had their respective anxiety stomachaches, followed by their respective dreams, occupied by and starring their respective boyfriends. The fairy lights twinkled down to the faintest glow, and far above the dungeons, snow fell.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chapter 2! I hope you enjoy! I'd love to read some comments!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <i>Dear Mum and Dad,</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>	I’m so excited to see everyone next week when I come home for Christmas, you guys especially. Seventh year has been pretty difficult, and some fun family time is much needed. James and Lily are excited too, but they’ll probably let you know in person. I’m writing a bit ahead of time to let you know that I’m bringing a friend home for Christmas. Scorpius wanted to come and celebrate Christmas with us this year, and I figured we would all be happy to have a guest. He’ll stay until the 24th and go home that evening, so he won’t be there for the day, but will be until then. I know that the Malfoy family aren’t exactly your favorites, but Scorpius is my best friend and I really want him to be able to experience a nice family Christmas, so please keep Uncle Ron from making any comments. Grandma Molly doesn’t need to make him a Christmas sweater either, I know this is all last minute and she’ll probably want to, but I promise he has enough sweaters. I know there isn’t a lot of room at the Burrow, but we can stay together. I have to go pack now but I can’t wait to see you and everyone!</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Please be nice to him.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Albus</i>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <i>Mum and Dad,</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Going to Al’s for Christmas. Be back Christmas Eve. Cheers.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Scorpius</i>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“So we aren’t actually going to your house? We’re going to the Burrow?”</p>
<p>Scorpius against the wall of their train car, his legs draped over Albus’s lap as he nibbled at a few Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans. He grimaced as he bit off half of one that was apparently cilantro flavor, placing the other half into Albus’s mouth, which he absently ate whilst flipping through his potions book. James and Lily sat across from them, trading chocolate frog cards. James, a tall young man of eighteen with his mother’s looks and his father’s hair, glanced over at the other two.</p>
<p>“Yeah, our place isn’t nearly big enough to have everyone over, so Christmas is always at the Burrow. It’s a somewhat tight fit, but we make it work. You two are going to be bunking together?” James asked, and Albus nodded, half-listening. Lily sniggered, “ooh”ing under her breath.</p>
<p>“Sharing a bed, are you? Scandalous. Mum’s gonna see right through you, you realize,” Lily, freshly fifteen years old, the spitting image of her namesake, remarked teasingly. </p>
<p>“Doesn’t matter. The whole point of bringing Scorpius home for Christmas is so I can tell everyone we’re dating. I sort of want everyone to get to know him before I have my big dramatic coming out, so they won’t be able to make assumptions,” Albus set his book aside and grabbed one of the sweets from the pile, tossing the wrapper at Lily’s face.</p>
<p>“Sure. Just don’t do what Teddy did and you’ll be fine,” Lily laughed, and James joined her, the both of them cracking up in very similar ways- they had always shared a laugh, their entire lives. Scorpius looked between the two of them in confusion before glancing up at his boyfriend, who was laughing with an uncharacteristic blush on his face.</p>
<p>“What did Teddy do?” he asked.</p>
<p>“Oh my- you haven’t told him? Hold on, this is my favorite story, I get to tell it,” James sat up in his seat and cleared his throat as if he were about to give a presentation. “So this was when I was, like, fifteen, so Al would’ve been around thirteen or fourteen, I think. We were about to have a family Quidditch match, and Al couldn’t find his broom, so he goes up to Teddy’s room to get his, right? And Teddy is fully naked, dick all the way out, in bed with some guy he had brought home from- somewhere, I can’t remember, maybe work? And Albus, bless him, just fucking screams, and runs out. We thought he’d been cursed, he was screaming so loudly!” James burst out laughing, as did Lily, while Albus huffed and shook his head.</p>
<p>“Okay, first off, I didn’t scream, I was just really surprised! And second off, they were under blankets! I didn’t see anything!” Albus responded defensively, which just amused his siblings further. Scorpius couldn’t help but laugh softly as well- the image of a fifteen-year-old Albus mortified by sex was very funny. </p>
<p>“Whatever. So if you guys are planning to bone, make sure to bolt your door,” James murmured, and Scorpius’s laughing was finished, replaced by an awkward silence and an embarrassed glance at Albus, before he looked out of the window as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. Talking about- and having- sex with his boyfriend was one thing, but Scorpius was nowhere near comfortable enough to talk about it with his boyfriend’s family, even those that he already had a fairly good relationship with. Albus had a similarly embarrassed look on his face, and cleared his throat.</p>
<p>“We, ah, aren’t. Bit… risky,” Albus murmured, and Scorpius had never wanted him to shut up more than in this moment. He sipped his bottle of pumpkin juice to keep himself from opening his mouth.</p>
<p>“Sorry, risky? Riskier than in the prefect's bathroom?" James quirked an eyebrow, and Scorpius inhaled sharply, sending a drink of pumpkin juice directly down the wrong pipe. He buried his face in his elbow to cough as Albus struggled to defend himself.</p>
<p>“It- I don’t- Just… shut up. Not one fucking word to Mum and Dad, okay? They’d have my head,” Albus huffed.</p>
<p>“They wouldn’t be the only ones,” Lily murmured under her breath, sending James into another fit of laughter, nearly collapsing back in his seat with his hands to his chest. </p>
<p>"Is it too late to go home?" Scorpius murmured, half-joking. Was this what it was like, having siblings? Constant teasing and gentle bullying? He couldn't imagine being comfortable enough to joke with his parents about things such as these- or even to talk about them. The closest he had ever been to this sort of conversation was the day after he had told his parents that he had a boyfriend, and he woke up to a pack of condoms and a pamphlet on STIs at the foot of his bed. Useful, but also awkward and impersonal- things that could be said about much of his relationship with his parents. They tried, they honestly did, and Scorpius appreciated that, but he could tell that it was a struggle on everyone’s part.</p>
<p>“Bit too late, because we’re here,” James remarked as the train cleared a tunnel and revealed them pulling into Kings Cross. Scorpius removed his legs from Albus’s lap and gathered his things, making sure he hadn’t forgotten anything back at school. James and Lily were quick to deposit the rest of the sweets into their respective bags as the train screeched to a halt, and the chaos of exiting the train began. </p>
<p>Scorpius felt near a panic attack. The hundreds of footsteps of children getting off of the train seemed to echo his heartbeat, wild in his chest, as he and the Potter children left their car. A sea of Hogwarts students was all that separated him from the two people that he feared the most in the entire world- his boyfriend’s parents. What if they despised him? What if they forbade Albus from dating him? Various worst-case scenarios flitted through his mind at once, and it felt as though all of the cacophonous voices on the train and on the platform were screaming at him that <i>of course</i>, they would hate him, of <i>course</i> he wasn’t good enough for Albus’s family, or Albus, and he should just-</p>
<p>Scorpius’s train of thought was quickly interrupted by a warm hand in his, fingers intertwining in a way that always made his chest warm. He looked at his boyfriend, who was gazing back at him as they walked down the length of the train. Albus’s eyes displayed the gentle concern reserved only for loved ones, as he had come to discover in the duration of their relationship.</p>
<p>“Are you okay?” Albus asked softly, and Scorpius nodded with a soft smile.</p>
<p>“Fine. Just got in my head a little. Let’s go,” Scorpius squeezed his hand as they reached the front of the train, heading down the steps onto the platform. He looked around the platform, eyes shifting from every face of every parent on the look for The Boy Who Lived, or the former Chaser of the Holyhead Harpies- god, why did the love of his life have to be ridiculously famous parents? Couldn’t he just date a normal guy? But then, normal was never quite his speed.</p>
<p>“Do you see Mum and Dad? I can’t see them anywhere,” Lily remarked as she looked around, tugging along her trunk, her pink pygmy puff sat comfortably on her shoulder, nestled against the fuzzy hood of her winter coat. The four of them were soon joined by Hugo and Rose Weasley-Granger, who seemed similarly confused by the absence of their parents.</p>
<p>“Hey, have you seen our parents? Or, like, yours? Think they’re late or something?” Hugo asked- a slightly undergrown boy of fifteen with slightly overgrown bright red hair. Rose was similarly bundled as Lily, an orange cat comfortably curled up in her hood as the girl gazed around the platform. Scorpius was beyond anxious the longer they went without spotting either of their pairs of parents, as did Albus- would they not come because of Scorpius? Did they know they were dating? Albus was close to suggesting they head to the Ministry to hitch a ride home via the Floo when he felt a hand gripping his shoulder, and he immediately drew his wand from his belt, turning to point it at his assailant, before his expression softened, and he grinned widely.</p>
<p>“Uncle Fred! Uncle George! Why did you say you were picking us up?” Albus smiled and was immediately pulled into a hug by each uncle.</p>
<p>“Why would we spoil the surprise? Also, Harry and Gin are a bit busy at home- your grandpa attempted to use a muggle Instant Pot and it went a bit sideways,” Fred sniggered, as did George.</p>
<p>“Did he blow it up? Why didn’t Aunt Hermione help him?” Albus asked, watching as his uncles happily gave hugs and noogies to each of their nieces and nephews in turn. </p>
<p>“Ron insisted on driving to the Burrow this year, and they got stuck in traffic. Idiot,” George shook his head. “Come on, then, I’m sure your grandma would love some help with lunch, and they have a million more mouths to feed- in fact, one more this year. Scorpius, was it?” he asked.</p>
<p>"You know his name. Scorpius Malfoy, the first boy to make little Al have a wet dream- we have so much to thank you for. An entire year of just the funniest occurrence that could have possibly happened, comedy material for the rest of his life. Thank you, so much," Fred and George both shook one of his hands at once, and Scorpius couldn't help but laugh.</p>
<p>“You’ll have to tell me about this dream. Sounds like it was fun,” Scorpius smirked, and Albus groaned and buried his face in his hands. </p>
<p>“I like this kid. Come on, then, gang, don’t make your grandma wait any longer, she’s already dying to fatten all of you up- you especially, Scorpius,” Fred elbowed the Malfoy boy, and he looked up at him in surprise, as did Albus.</p>
<p>“Especially me?”</p>
<p>"Yeah. Apparently, you were dying to come home to have a family Christmas, and she read that as meaning that your parents are starving you. So, prepare to gain a few this Christmas. I hope you like fudge because I'm fairly certain there's a box just for you," George remarked, and Scorpius's chest suddenly felt quite warm. Albus's grandmother, a woman he had never met, was preparing food for him, making desserts for him, apparently cared so much about a complete stranger that she was worried about how much he was eating? Perhaps his anxiety about the entire Potter-Weasley-Granger family hating him wasn't exactly warranted. “Alright, we’ve loitered enough. Let’s get the hell out of here.” Fred put his arms around Hugo and Rose’s shoulders as he led them off of the platform, the other four following closely behind. Scorpius gave Albus’s hand a small squeeze and pressed a kiss to his cheek.</p>
<p>Perhaps this wouldn’t be so scary.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for the delay! Life happens, lol. Hope you enjoy this new chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“They are not dating, Gin, that’s ridiculous,”</p>
<p>Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived, was squatted on the floor of the kitchen, scraping rice from underneath the cabinets. The Burrow, as always, was hustling and bustling, but even more so now that Arthur Weasley had caused an average-sized rice bomb in the middle of the kitchen. Ginny Potter-Weasley was gathering the different parts of the Instant Pot, wanting to at least attempt salvaging one of her father's prized possessions. Molly had headed upstairs to clean herself soon after the explosion, and Arthur was hurriedly setting up what remained of lunch on the tables outside- even without Arthur’s experiment it was a meal fit for the enormous family. And enormous it was- while a few members were missing, the towering house and its many additions contained enough people to populate a couple of Quidditch teams. </p>
<p>“How exactly is it ridiculous? When has Albus ever brought a friend home for Christmas?” Ginny asked as she set another chunk of plastic on the table before going to fish another from a cabinet. </p>
<p>“Everyone brings home friends for Christmas. I was brought here for Christmas, a few times,” Harry said, murmuring a quick scourgify under his breath.</p>
<p>“That was because Ron didn’t want to leave you alone at Hogwarts. And because you had a crush on your best friend’s sister,” Ginny teased, playfully swatting his back before retrieving her wand from her belt, using her free hand to brush her long ginger hair away from her face.</p>
<p><i>“Reparo!”</i> Ginny flicked her wand at the remains of the pot, and they shuddered for a moment before returning to their rightful places. “Right. Good as new. You should go clean up, I don’t want you grubby for Albus’s boyfriend.”</p>
<p>“I am not <i>grubby,”</i> Harry huffed, winding an arm around his wife’s waist and pecking her cheek. “Don’t you think he’d have told us by now that he had a boyfriend? And… honestly, of all of the boyfriends, it had to be Scorpius Malfoy?” </p>
<p>“Oh, shut up, it isn’t as though Malfoy and Astoria made a little Draco clone. Astoria was in the year below me, but she was always really nice. Certainly never pulled any of the “blood traitor” bullshit that Malfoy did in school,” Ginny said as she straightened out her husband’s scarlet sweater, picking a few grains of rice out of his unruly hair, which had only worsened during his cleaning. “Whether or not Scorpius is Albus’s boyfriend, we are going to be nice and generous and hospitable. You and Ron had better not make any comments, or I will hex you.” She pinched his cheek playfully.</p>
<p>“Mm, you can hex me once I destroy you at Quidditch,” Harry smirked, his hand pressing at the small of her back.</p>
<p>“Destroy me? You have never in your life destroyed me,” </p>
<p>“No? My, you’ve got a short memory, Mrs. Potter, can’t even remember last night-“</p>
<p>“Harry Potter you stop that right now,” Ginny hissed under her breath, pointing her wand underneath his chin while trying, and failing, to hide the grin on her face. Just as Ginny was ready to kiss her husband within an inch of his life, there was a knock at the door- definitely not any of her children, they’d never dream of knocking at the door of the Burrow. So it had to be-</p>
<p>“Hermione and Ron are here,” Harry concluded at the exact same time, placing another kiss on her cheek before pulling away to straighten himself out a bit. Ginny gave a fond smile and ruffled his hair before heading towards the front door, Harry following closely behind, maneuvering around the enormous Christmas tree- not yet decorated, he wouldn't deprive his children of that even into their teenage years- as well as the mountain of presents underneath. Soon after marrying into the Weasley family and having children, Harry realized just how massive a proper family Christmas could be. At the Dursleys, Christmas was an event that he was largely excluded from, spending the day cooking and cleaning to avoid watching Dudley unwrap his ungodly number of presents. Any sour memories of the holidays were replaced with his undying urge to make Christmas as special as possible for his children. He supposed this branched into welcoming his son's friend-maybe-boyfriend with open arms. However, at the moment he was simply thrilled to watch his wife open the door to greet his two best friends.</p>
<p>Upon looking at them, Harry realized that he had little to worry about in terms of his own appearance. Ron’s hair was standing up in various areas, his clothes rumpled and, in some spots, seemed to be damp. Hermione’s bushy brown hair was exponentially bushier, her clothes similarly rumpled as her husband’s, and was wearing a supremely Hermione-like expression of contained rage. Harry could glean this as the reason why Ron seemed to be carrying all of their bags. </p>
<p>“What the hell happened to you two?” Harry asked unabashedly as he offered hugs to the both of them- why on earth did Ron smell like petrol?</p>
<p>“Ronald decided that it would be oh so smart and fun to drive all of the way here, disregarding the fact that his car was twenty years old and could barely hold enough petrol to get us to a station. And do not get me started on the fiasco that was Mr. Ronald Weasley attempting to pump his own petrol,” Hermione huffed as she hugged both Potters, picking a grain of rice from the collar of Harry’s sweater.</p>
<p>“It was fun! She leaves out the parts where we were having a lovely time on the road, listening to the Muggle radio stations- driving in the countryside was nice!” Ron protested as he clapped Harry on the back, after setting unfortunately rubbing off some of the smell onto him. So much for that particular sweater.</p>
<p>“Yes, it was all quite lovely until we broke down miles from the nearest building and had to Apparate here. Can’t imagine how late we would be if we had finished driving. Speaking of, where are my children?” Hermione asked as Ginny pulled her inside, leaving the boys to grab the bags- Harry, who had been on the receiving end of Hermione’s rage many times, was happy to help.</p>
<p>“Fred and George went to get them. Arthur blew up an Instant Pot,” Harry said, <i>“Wingardium Leviosa”</i>ing their bags off of the ground and up the winding stairs to Ron’s childhood room, which was always the room that they shared come Christmas time. Arthur and Molly had their own bedroom, all of the older cousins shared one room, the younger shared another or stayed with their parents, Harry and Ginny bunked in Percy’s old bedroom- Percy himself came to about every other family Christmas, as they’d relocated out of the country a few years prior, and it was difficult to find time and funds. Fred and George shared with their respective partners, Charlie happily third-wheeled Bill and Fleur, and Teddy happily magically expanded the sofa to sleep on every night. It was cramped, slightly uncomfortable, but fun.</p>
<p>"What the hell is an Instant Pot?" Ron murmured, looking around the living room. It was still a comfortable clutter, every wall decorated with smiling photographs of his family, ever-expanding. </p>
<p>“God knows. Tea?” Ginny asked as she brought over the kettle and a few mugs from the kitchen, setting them on the coffee table and gesturing for everyone to sit. Ron happily flopped down onto the brown, slightly ragged sofa, taking his mug as soon as Ginny poured it and happily warmed his hands.</p>
<p>“Cold as all hell out there,” Ron murmured, and Harry laughed softly.</p>
<p>“You’d have been outside less if you just Apparated here like everyone else,” He playfully rolled his eyes, quietly thanking Ginny for the tea. </p>
<p>“We’d have been outside less if Granger didn’t insist on knocking on the door,” Ron murmured, and Ginny laughed.</p>
<p>“That is true. I’ve told you for years, Hermione, family doesn’t need to knock. Just announce yourself when you come in, it’s fine,” Ginny smiled as she sipped her tea.</p>
<p>“I like to knock! It’s polite. Besides, Apparating right into the house could backfire remarkably quickly. I’d rather not appear in the center of the living room with my foot in one of the plants,” Hermione huffed softly, extending the small olive branch of magically cleaning the petrol off of her husband, the scent in the room quickly evaporating with that of baked goods and lit cinnamon candles, the standard Christmas scent at the Burrow. She set her wand down before returning to her tea, now comfortably warmed by the drink, the company, and the roaring fireplace. The fire, she noticed, seemed to gradually climb from its gentle crackle to a louder hiss- concern painted her face until, all at once, what sounded like a small explosion occurred, and a young red-haired boy popped out of the fireplace.</p>
<p>“Mum! Dad!” Hugo Weasley-Granger grinned, rushing over to his parents. He hugged his mother around the middle before moving to his father, just as the fireplace went off once more, and Rose followed. </p>
<p>"Oh, happy Christmas- go hug your mum," Ron hugged his daughter before sending her off to her mother.</p>
<p>Each child followed, one after the other until there was a small crowd forming in the rather cramped room. The children were passed from parent to aunt to uncle and so on, various happy greetings were given as a rapid collection of teenagers emerged from the fireplace. Albus emerged just before Scorpius, who fell onto the floor on his way out of the fire. He quickly helped his boyfriend up and brushed him off a bit before paying his parents any mind, resulting in a pointed look from Ginny towards her husband. Albus, once satisfied with the lack of soot coating his boyfriend, turned to look at his parents for the first time since the summer.</p>
<p>“Hey, Dad, Mum. Ah, this is Scorpius. But you probably already knew that,” Albus gave his awkward crooked smile as he went to go hug his parents. Ginny happily held her youngest son tightly, rubbing his back.</p>
<p>“He seems like a nice boy,” Ginny murmured in his ear before pulling away to greet Scorpius. She took one of his pale hands in hers, shaking it with a friendly smile.</p>
<p>“Nice to finally meet you, Scorpius. Albus has told us so much about you,” she smiled. Scorpius struggled for an appropriate reaction and settled on a tiny smile.</p>
<p>"It's lovely to meet you too, Mrs. Potter," he smiled, while Albus offered a silent thumbs-up behind his mother's back. </p>
<p>“You can call me Ginny, darling,” she smiled, and Scorpius nodded, knowing full well that he would absolutely not be doing that. </p>
<p>Fred and George emerged from the fireplace after a few moments, though they quickly absconded up the stairs to make it to their room without being on the receiving end of well-meaning worrying and rib-cracking hugs from their mother. James and Lily followed, as did the two Weasley kids, wanting to claim the best beds before anyone else did. Scorpius realized with a start that he was alone with Albus’s parents, along with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger- who were, besides his own parents, the four scariest adults in the entire world.</p>
<p>“Good to meet you, Scorpius. Always nice to meet one of Al’s friends,” Harry politely shook Scorpius’s hand- the boy struggled to maintain eye contact, but somehow managed the duration of the handshake. Fuck. This was actually <i>Harry fucking Potter</i>. Albus’s parents being two of the most famous individuals in the wizarding world, saviors of the world, had been something that existed strictly theoretically in his mind until this moment. Looking into the eyes of the man who often decorated the front page of The Daily Prophet was beyond jarring. </p>
<p>“Malfoy, yeah?” Ron asked from the sofa, and Albus’s heart stopped. Uncle Ron had never been good at hiding his distaste for the Malfoy family, though he had hoped that his uncle would be capable of holding his tongue.</p>
<p>“Um- yes, sir,” Scorpius nodded.</p>
<p>“How’s your dad doing, then? Alright?”</p>
<p>Huh. Unexpected.</p>
<p>“… Yes. Yes, um, my dad’s doing well. Great, actually,” he nodded, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. </p>
<p>“Good on him. Say hello for us,”</p>
<p>“… Will do,”</p>
<p>Ginny smiled between the two of them before she pressed a kiss to her son’s forehead, ruffling his already messy hair. While Albus would never hear the end of how he inherited his father’s looks- <i>paint on a scar and you could be twins!</i>- his eyes belonged to his mother. Honey brown, warm, filled with an abundance of kindness. Looks between them were often, exchanging glances and faces to silently tell one another jokes- typically at the expense of his father. Ginny sent him one of those looks at that moment.</p>
<p>"How about you two go settle in and get cleaned up before lunch. Your grandmother will have a fit if she sees you covered in soot at the table. Go on," she patted his shoulder. Albus was endlessly glad for the permission, and he was quick to grab his boyfriend's arm and tug him up the stairs to what was at one point his Uncle's bedroom. James and Hugo were setting up their areas, putting clothes into drawers, and sorting out bed arrangements.</p>
<p>“Just in time, lovebirds. We have a proposal. You get the bed next to the wall, if you two promise not to have sex. Or at least not while we’re here,” James said, tossing a pillow at Albus, who caught it easily.</p>
<p>“We weren’t planning on having sex. Especially not with you here. But sure, give up the best bed in the house, your call,” Albus tossed his trunk onto the bed so that they couldn’t change their minds, beginning to unpack. Scorpius stood near the door, toying with his fingers silently. Hugo looked over at the older boy, frowning gently.</p>
<p>“You get the bottom drawer, Scorpius. Or you can live out of your trunk, but Grandma doesn’t like when we do that,” he said, and Scorpius nodded with a small thanks, beginning to unpack his trunk next to Albus, who smiled at him and took his hand, offering a gentle squeeze. </p>
<p>“Hey. You met my parents and you didn’t die,” Albus smiled.</p>
<p>“Sorry, I didn’t die? Which boyfriend did you watch meet your parents? Because it certainly wasn’t me,” Scorpius huffed as he placed his clothes into his designated drawer. “I talked like an insane person; your parents definitely felt my sweaty fucking hands. Your dad is so tall! Why did you not tell me he was so tall? You should have told me!” Scorpius groaned, burying his face into one of Albus’s hoodies- one of his many thefts. Albus couldn’t help but laugh, wrapping his arms around Scorpius and squeezing tightly. </p>
<p>“You did the hard part. You met them and made a first impression. Now I have the hardest part,” Albus hummed. James chimed in.</p>
<p>“You have to tell them that you two touch dicks!” James said through a mouthful of Fizzing Whizzbees, earning a swift pillow to the face. Hugo fell over himself in laughter, and Scorpius couldn't help but laugh along with him. The brothers, the cousin, and the boyfriend carried on unpacking until the bedroom door opened so quickly that Albus feared that his twin uncles had caused a small explosion. From the slammed open door entered a tall man with electric blue hair, donning a leather jacket and a bright grin. Teddy Lupin’s arms opened widely, and each of the brothers as well as their cousin expected his eyes to land on him. However, he all but ignored the three of them, his eyes instead fixed on Scorpius.</p>
<p>“Happy Christmas, cousin! Never thought I’d see the day. So, since when have you been fucking my little brother?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>TEDDY!!!!!!! Teddy being the Potter kids' surrogate older brother is one of my favorite headcanons so of course I had to put it in my fic.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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